I wonder if anyone ever sends 100,000 word manuscripts to publishers/ agents anymore. Perhaps they should try it, if only for the shock value.posted by rhymer at 1:32 PM on March 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

The thing is that nobody who's lived in Ann Arbor would be surprised by any of them.

Hell yes.

There is something very Michigan about all of them. The first few entries are addiction, blindness, suicide, depression, and then this: "I'm 19 years old, tall, blonde, blue eyes and way too outgoing for my own good!" That last entry ends with her plans to move to Florida.posted by selfmedicating at 4:40 PM on March 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thanks for this post, rebent. I don't know why MeFi has to be so snarky in response to this raw emotion. I guess we're covering for something?posted by Sfving at 6:03 PM on March 24, 2010

I knew that some people would have the exact same reaction as the first poster, but that's ok. They can just read that thing about the Canadian thief instead, if they like :)posted by rebent at 6:45 PM on March 24, 2010

This seems similar to PostSecret only with full stories instead of one- or two-liners on postcards. I like it. Salman Rushdie said, "Those who do not have power over the story that dominates their lives, the power to retell it, rethink it, deconstruct it, joke about it, and change it as times change, truly are powerless, because they cannot think new thoughts." I think projects like this are important because they encourage people to tell their story.posted by headnsouth at 3:18 AM on March 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

I wish more people would tell their stories. (And people would hear them). It's a lot harder to snark and smarm your way through a conversation with someone when you stop seeing them as a caricature or stereotype.

A lot of the ones on this site seem to be by teenagers. They might not listen to older people's stories, But it sure makes me feel better to remind people of that age that it DOES get better.posted by DigDoug at 6:25 AM on March 25, 2010

I could flip through more than five pages of that, because of all the sad stuff in there. That kind of stuff is why I stopped reading PostSecret and switched to Postcards from Yo Momma. Can't more than one person write a peppy story?posted by anniecat at 7:10 AM on March 25, 2010

Wait, I really like this one:

One day, I was walking back to my dorm in a bad mood. I looked up and saw a man heading in the opposite direction. In his hands was what appeared to be a live lobster. He held it the way you’d hold a cat, sort of under the armpits, and when he saw me looking, he raised one of its claws in a little wave (I waved back).

What anniecat said. Is everyone walking around with that much negativity and sorrow inside of them? I know the Wolverines sucked this year, but isn't there any joy in Ann Arbor?posted by rocket88 at 7:24 AM on March 25, 2010

This guy was parked outside of Espresso Royale on State street for like ...weeks it felt like.

I'm pretty sure I just saw him out there again a couple of days ago.posted by puffin at 10:27 AM on March 25, 2010

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